1919 AD - 2 / April - June

                                                                                                                                                            "Paris Peace Conference Debacle." 

1919 April 1st: The 1st Dail Eireann / 1st Irish Assembly had a private meeting at the Mansion House, were they "officially" installed Eammon de Valera as the Priomh Aire / Taoiseach (First Minister) of the Irish Republic, and  ensured that the decisions of the 1st Dail Eireann would now have "effect" throughout the whole of Ireland, and they also wanted to ensure "International" recognition of the Irish Republic, acknowledging no right for the British Imperial Government to force their British Laws on the population in Ireland and also decided further to "ostracise" the "Royal Irish Constabulary / R.I.C." who although Irishmen were being used by the "British Coalition" Government to keep their own countrymen under British Imperial  control and surveillance.

    Dr. Patrick Mac Cartan, who had previously been sent by the I.R.B./ Irish Republican Army to "America" in 1917 as their envoy, had by now become the recognized "representative" of the 1st Dail Eireann over there in America, but was not on friendly terms with the fully committed John Devoy or Judge Cohalan / Culhane / Ua Cathalain from the Clann na Gael / The Organization, which did not bode well for the future public relations of the ongoing personal relationships there.   

April 2rd - 4th: The 1st Dail Eireann / 1st Irish Assembly now decided to increase the number of Irish Cabinet Ministers to 9 under Eamonn de Valera as their Taoiseach / First Minister, with Michael Collins now becoming the "Minister for Finance" replacing Eoin Mac Neill, Arthur Griffiths the "Minister for Home Affairs," Cathal Brugha the "Minister for Defence," William T. Cosgrove the "Minister for Local Government," Countess Constance Markievicz the "Minister for Labour," Eoin Mac Neill the "Minister for Industry," Robert Barton the "Minister for Agriculture," with Count Plunkett retained as the "Minister for Foreign Affairs." Under the auspices of Arthur Griffiths' original idea of Self - Reliance / Sinn Fein / We Ourselves they then introduced their own Irish Dail Eireann Courts and Irish Dail Eireann Departments in Ireland, which were "adverse" to the previous enforced British Imperial Government's controlled systems under their "Immoral Union"

April 6th: An Irish "political" prisoner was "murdered" on this day in cold blood by the British Coalition Government Forces, while the Irish Volunteers / I.R.A. Irish Republican Army were trying to rescue him in Limerick in Co. Limerick in the Munster Province, and a 5 day "strike" was called in Ireland because his death had occurred in "British" custody, and to counteract this measure the British Coalition Government bought in "Martial Law" just in Limerick itself, and as a further punishment 1,000 Irish followers who were attending a "hurling match" outside of the City of Limerick where not allowed back into Limerick City by the Dublin Castle authorities because they had no British Imperial Government "permits."

April 8th: An Ard - Fheis / Convention was held at the Mansion House over 2 days were it was decided to request the T.D.s "elected" members of the 1st Dail Eireann to begin "ostracising" the Royal Irish Constabulary / R.I.C who were not a real police force at all, but were just being "used" by the British Imperial Government as a vast military "spy" network, that had been set up to hold the population of Ireland subject to British Coalition Government rule, as they were keeping daily records of all Irish individuals or any Irish organizations, which expressed any "patriotic" opinions, who were also either " teaching" the Irish language or even appeared in Irish plays. The 1st Dail Eireann knew full well that if they could dismantle the R.I.C. police the British Coalition Government administration's control over the population of Ireland from out of  their stronghold in the Dublin Castle (The Devil's 1/2 Acre) could be bought to a halt, and to this end they began a campaign to "discredit" the R.I.C. polices' position among the population so that all of the Irish population would be well aware of their "actual role" in the overall scheme of things under the direction of the British Imperial Government's Dublin Castle authorities.

April 9th: Michael Collins sent out "warnings" to the British Coalition Government's "G" Division in the Dublin Castle to stop being so "officious" to the citizens of Ireland, but instead to actually carry out the "real duties" normally expected of policeman in a "normal" society.   

April 10th: Eamonn de Valera advised that the 1st Dail Eireann / 1st Irish Assembly had decided to set up an Irish Loan for 500,000 pounds to assist in the running and "administration" of the Irish Republic and all patriotic Irish men and women now also put their efforts forward into the "Peace Conference" to be held in Paris to bring forward Ireland's right as an "Oppressed Nation" to Self - Determination / Freedom so often previously espoused by the American President "Woodrow Wilson." The "constant" attacks and raids that were now being carried out on the individual Irish households by the British Imperial Forces under the direction of the Dublin Castle authorities made more and more of the population in Ireland come to realise that the time must come for them to stand up as "individuals" in their own right, as the Irish newspapers were also still being constantly "censored" by the British Coalition Government's Dublin Castle authorities. Despite all the troubles that still existed in Ireland, Eamonn de Valera was still determined to go to "America" to raise awareness about the "Peace Conference" and also raise the intended 500,000 pound Irish Loan there, and once again it was up to Michael Collins to make the arrangements to get him there, so he sent Harry Boland ahead to set it up for him, and also begin to launch the Irish Loan, and while he was to be there Eammon de Valera also asked him to look into the "personality" clash amongst the Irish Americans of Clann na Gael / The Organization that he had since been informed of by Dr. Mac Cartan.  

April 12th: The "3 Irish - American Special Delegates," including Governor Dunne from Illinois who represented Chicago, were supposed to put Ireland's case forward at the "Paris Peace Conference" on behalf of the American Friends for Irish Freedom, but they now also received an invitation from David Lloyd - George the British Coalition Prime Minister to come and see him personally before they went to the Peace Conference, but he was later to change his mind when they were to visit Ireland on the way over to gain "first hand knowledge" of the actual situation in Ireland.  

April 20th: The Irish Volunteers / I.R.A. / Irish Reublican Army carried out another raid on the R.I.C Barracks at Araglen in Co. Cork in Southern Munster to obtain more rifles and ammunition in case they were needed in any future conflict with the well armed British Imperial Military Forces. 

May 3rd: The "3 Irish - American Special Delegates" to the Peace Conference in Paris arrived in Ireland, were they addressed the Dail Eireann / 1st Irish Assembly on their way to Paris, and were able to gain first hand knowledge as to the oppressive British Coalition Government policies that were still being carried out under the "Immoral Union" in Ireland, and Eammon de Valera expressed his view to them that as Irish - Americans they were now the only hope for Ireland to obtain a hearing at the Paris Peace Conference, by ensuring President Woodrow Wilson lived up to his previous promises in regard to "Small Nations." One of the Delegates also informed him that if he wanted the Irish Loan to really succeed in America he should go there personally to promote it, whle the Catholic Bishops in Ireland now also came out and publicly stated as far as they were concerned the "Artificial Partition of Ireland" was as"dead" as a door nail, and already up until now 10,000 pounds had already been raised by the previous setting up of Eammon de Valera's American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic.   

May 4th: The British Coalition Government's "Martial Law" in Limerick City in Co. Limerick in the Munster Province was withdrawn on this date, and the 3 American Delegates to the Peace Conference in Paris were welcomed by the Irish people all over Ireland as Ireland's only real chance to gain a "democratic and peaceful" resolution for an Independent Ireland, except for up in Belfast in Co. Antrim in the north - east of the Ulster Province which was the "Official Unionist" stronghold.   

May 10th: The 3 Irish American Peace Delegates also attended the public session of the 1st Dail Eireann / Irish Assembly in Dublin where there was a very large crowd present, and it too was also subsequently "raided" by the British Coalition 's Forces from out of the Dublin Castle, but only after the 3 Irish American Delegates had "left" the area.

May 11th: The 3 Irish American Peace Delegates were "refused" entry into Westport in Co. Mayo in the mid - west of the Connacht Province by the British Imperial Government Military Forces. 

May 13th: The 3 Irish American Peace Delegates left Ireland for Paris having already seen enough to fully realise the actual oppressive situation that still existed in Ireland, but because they had visited Ireland before seeing him David Lloyd - George the British Coalition Prime Minister "cancelled" his invitation to see them, and once they arrived in Paris the American Peace Commissioners there advised them that they also would not make "any effort" on their behalf for Ireland, as they had given "offence" to the British Imperial Government by visiting Ireland first and it was now very clear that the population in Ireland would receive "no peaceful democratic justice" at all at the forthcoming Peace Conference if the British Coalition Government had their way.   

      The 1st Dail Eireann / 1st Irish Assembly had put all their efforts since April into ensuring that their particular overall "administration" was producing the necessary results for the population in Ireland, but the mattter of "Finance" continued to loom as their main problem, and to this end they sanctioned obtaining the required Irish Loans for use in Ireland to be collected "also" in Ireland and America, under the guidance of Michael Collins who was to be most successful in this regard, while the matter of the Irish Volunteers coming under the direct control of the Dail Eireann / Irish Assembly as the I.R.A. / Irish Republican Army was constantly bought up as another "problem" that was necessary to be solved as soon as possible.

May 17th: Eammon de Valera, Arthur Griffith and Count Plunkett wrote to "Clemenceau" the French President of the Peace Conference "denying" the British Imperial Government the right to sign on behalf of the population of Ireland.

May 26th: The 1st Dail Eireann / 1st Irish Assembly also wrote to the convenors of the "Peace Conference" again, requesting that the claim by Ireland to be recognized as an "Independent Sovereign State" be officially recorded, although they well knew they had no chance by now due to the successful prior negative activities carried out by the British Imperial Coalition Government to ensure it did not happen.

June 3rd: Michael Collins arranged for Eammon de Valera the Priomh Aire of the 1st Dail Eireann / Irish Assembly to leave for America via England on the S. S. Lapland, while he personally made out that he was going to visit Austin Stack who the British Coalition Government was still holding as a "political "prisoner in "Manchester Jai"l in England, and on board the same boat to England was James Mac Mahon the British Under - Secretary for Ireland, but Eammon de Valera refused to meet with him, and on arriving in England continued on his way from there to America where he was to now remain for 18 months during the grevious coming "Troubles" in Ireland that were to occur now with the British Imperial Coalition Government. Michael Collins as the President of the Supreme Council of the I.R.B. / Irish Republican Brotherhood, the Commander of the Irish Republican Army / I.R.A., and a "political" Sinn Fein Party member of the 1st Dail Eireann, the "Minister of Finance" and an a Dail Eireann Cabinet member of the eventual Provisional Irish Government would be mostly left now to carry the "day to day" responsibility for all of this.

June 6th: The American Senate voted 60 to 1 to allow Eamonn de Valera, Arthur Griffith and Count Plunkett to address them regarding Irish Independence / Freedom.  

June: The Irish "political" prisoners that were still being held by the British Coalition Government in the Belfast Jail in Co. Antrim in the north - east of the Ulster Province were by now in a "terrible decrepid" state of health there, so the British Imperial Government removed them to "Manchester Jail" in England instead. 

June 7th: The American Senate voted by a 70 majority that Ireland should receive a "hearing" in Paris, but President Woodrow Wilson told them he would "not" take up the case for Ireland, and he also refused to see Judge Cohalan the Justice of the Supreme Court there who was a friend of John Devoy and the Clann na Gael / The Organization. and the 3 Irish American Peace Delegates sent from America reported their findings on the conditions prevailing in Ireland under the British Imperial Coalition Government rule and this created a "sensation" there in America, which upset Ian Mac Pherson the British Chief Secretary in Ireland, who said that their findings were "incorrect," and that he would give the "true facts" and he then issued a report to suit his own purposes. The British Coalition Government would "not allow" the original report that the 3 Irish American Delegates had previously issued in America to be published in Ireland and this ban only reinforced the British Imperial Government's ingrained outlook and their whole attitude towards the population of Ireland who once again could clearly see the need to have the right to direct their "own destiny" if any common rights or democratic justice was ever to gain the upper hand in Ireland. 

     Much to the ire of "Woodrow Wilson," the American President, when the "League of Nations" was to be eventually set up, the "American Congress" opposed the participation of America in it and the Paris Peace Treaty also, which had in reality only created an "association of perpetual power," as under the regulations they had decided amongst themselves that those who already had the power could keep their hold forever on those under their Imperalistic control and although it was to be signed by Woodrow Wilson the President of the United States, who so vehemently denied Ireland its freedom, fate would have it that it would "not" be ratified by the members in the U.S.A. A positive effect of the "refusal" by Woodrow Wilson to allow Ireland any representation at the Peace Conference was that the 750 years of English - British Imperial Government oppression of Ireland had been bought to the "attention" of all the other "Countries in the World," while the negative effect was that the British Imperial Government now felt so "secure" in their overall authorative position to continue on with the oppression in Ireland and also began to really step up their British Military Forces "offensive" in Ireland.  

June 11th: Eammon de Valera the Priomh Aire of the 1st Dail Eireann / Irish Assembly arrived in New York after an 8 day journey were he was met by Harry Boland who took him to see Liam Mellowes, then they went onto see Joseph Mac Garrity in Philadelphia, and after laying low for a week he also went to see his mother in Rochester.

 June 16th: Harry Boland publicly announced that Eammon de Valera would be at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in America on the 23rd June, and to gain further "publicity" he challenged the American "press" to find out were he was staying at the present time.

June 23rd: Eammon de Valera attended the meeting at the Waldorf Astoria and John Devoy and Judge Cohalan greeted him there, and he announced to the press and all those present that he was there to "officially" launch the Irish Loan, which Judge Cohalan and John Devoy were "against," as they feared it would interfere with the already set up "Irish Victory Fund," but he was determined to go ahead and Judge Goff agreed to help him and Kathleen O Connell from Caherdaniel in Co. Kerry in the south - west of the Munster Province became his "Secretary" and was to remain with him in this position for 37 years until her death in 1956.

June 27th: The "Paris Peace Treaty" was signed.

June 29th: Eammon de Valera as the Priomh Aire of the Irish Republic attended a meeting in "Boston" were he spoke on the shortcomings of the "Paris Peace Treaty" that had been agreed to by those who had signed it, as they would remain in "perpetual control" of the "Smaller Nations" they already had under their overall authority and he truly believed it would only create 20 new "Wars" throughout the World, instead of a stable democratic Peace, as it really only preserved their previous "authoritarian control" over their existing held territories, who because of this would continue to seek their own Independence from the grip of the Imperialists who continued to control their lives.

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